Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about zilvera’s jewellery

Materials

Most of my jewellery is not hallmarked. However you can be sure that you buy real silver from zilvera’s. My materials are purchased from renowned suppliers. In the silver melted by myself I guarantee precious metal content within the range of +/- 5%. It means that if the item is labelled 925 silver, the silver content can not be lower that 878. My jewellery is never labelled ‘silver’ if it is silver-plated, silver-filled, alpaca etc. More information on silver purity standards here.

If a piece is tested with a reliable test technique (not granny’s home testing methods) and it turned out that the silver content deviates more than 5%, you can return your piece and get your money back. You will have to present sufficient evidence for that (pictures, test results).

Yes they do. This is normal, unless silver is rhodium-plated or coated with an anti-tarnish lacquer. Argentium silver is supposed to be more tarnish-resistant than regular sterling silver. The reason is that silver reacts with elements in the environment, such as sulphur. Another frequent reason for silver discoloration is grease and dirt. If you love silver you will have to perform maintenance on your silver pieces (not only those purchased from zilvera’s). Here are some pieces of advice how to clean your silver, also in Dutch. I would personally recommend special anti-tarnish chemicals such as Silvo or a soft silver cleaning cloth.

When a ring turns your finger green it’s either because of a chemical reaction between acids in your skin and the metal of the ring or a reaction between another substance on your hand, such as a lotion, and the metal of the ring. The common culprit is copper which is added to sterling silver. 999 silver should not cause greening at all. But since most ring shanks are not made from 999-silver this reaction can happen. I noticed that pmc pro rings are prone to greening more than regular sterling silver. The reaction is very personal: some people have it, some not. Read more about what you can do here.

Silver allergy is much more serious than just the skin turning green (see above). However many people who say they are allergic to sterling silver, are in fact reacting to nickel. Depending on the purity standard sterling silver can contain as much as 5-8% nickel.

If you know that you are allergic to nickel in all forms, also in sterling silver, then 999-silver jewellery from precious metal clay could be a solution for you. Just look at the items in my shop tagged 999-silver. If a piece has a sterling silver bail or earhooks, I can replace these parts with fine silver where technically possible. For instance, the earhooks of all these dangles can be replaced – free of charge – with earhooks made of 0,8 mm thick fine silver wire. Another option -to be ordered as an extra – could be surgical steel earhooks.

Ordering

Take one of your existing rings, draw a line with a very fine (!) pencil or liner on the inside of it and measure the inner diameter as exactly as possible. Convert it to a size scale which is used in your country using this ring size conversion chart. Or use this ring sizing guide as help.

The situation is more complicated when the ring is meant for a person whose size you do not know – and you don’t want this person to know that you are going to buy her a ring. Follow my blog for an update on this topic.

Some of my necklaces offer customizable length: usually in the range from 40 to 70 cm. You can either measure one of your necklaces and tell me the exact length. Or you can just follow this rule of a thumb: a standard choker is 40-42 cm, a short necklace to wear above the T-shirt is 42-46 cm, and a long necklace starts with 60 cm. Of course, your neck size matters too.

Of course you are welcome to purchase in my shops etsy.com and dawanda.com. However buying jewellery directly from my shop offers such advantages as a lower price, special promotions, more flexibility with returns and direct and personal contact. With exactly the same quality guarantees.

Zilvera’s jewellery is one of a kind and cannot be reproduced. I can make a custom piece for you in the same style, with a similar design and even, if available, with the same stone. The price can be (somewhat) higher owing to a larger size, extra material, extra expensive stone and last but not least extra work on customization. The procedure of custom order placement is outlined in the next question.

If you’d like a piece of jewellery to be made especially for you you can order it. Before order placement we have to agree on the essential points such as

design: your drawing, my drawing approved by you or an existing item as a model

size

materials, especially stones: a stone can be chosen among the stones in my stock, ordered, or you can send me your own stone too. You can also order a jewellery piece made from your own precious metals which I will recycle (cast). In this case we have to measure the quantity of the metal and fix it in an (oral) agreement.

time, mode of shipment and price

after that you pay a small deposit (10-20 euro’s depending on the total price) and I start working on your assignment. I keep you constantly informed on the progress, providing as much visual material as possible. After the item has been finished you have a choice whether to buy it or not. In the last case the deposit will not be refunded.

Guarantees

Yes. If an item gets broken in the course of a normal wear during the first months. Or if it arrives already damaged. Then you have two options: either to have it repaired for free (in this case shipment to-and-back will be split 50-50) or request a refund (you will bear the shipment costs back to zilvera). All refunds take place at the moment the item arrives back at zilvera’s.

If an item has been broken by accident or misuse which do not qualify as normal wear, it can be repaired if technically feasible. For this repair a separate price will be agreed. A refund is not possible.

The judgment what qualifies as normal wear and what – as damage by accident/misuse – will be done based on technical evidence, such as pictures, description etc.

In my other online shops this option is not offered. If you buy jewellery on this site and we have agreed before that in some situations the item can be returned it is possible to send it back and have a full refund minus the PayPal payment commission (if applicable). You will have to pay the costs of the return delivery to zilvera’s. The item shall be returned within 10 days in the original state and preferably in the original packaging: not worn, not dirty or damaged etc. All refunds take place at the moment when the item arrives back at zilvera’s.

The above never applies to items made to order, i.e. they cannot be sent back.

Shipment and packaging

Currently my shop has two shipment options: by regular mail and by registered mail, with the cost of 4 and 14 euro correspondingly. The items will be shipped by Dutch Post (for your information: see the current tariffs). There is also – if economically feasible – a possibility of DHL shipment, with home delivery or pick up at a pickup point.

Shipment fee includes the cost of packaging. Items with a value of EUR 50/ USD 70 or more are always shipped by registered mail with track and trace #.

Less expensive items can be sent by registered mail if chosen by the buyer. Extra insurance can be provided on request, all the costs of insurance to be borne by the buyer.

Combined shipping of several items together and shipping to the Netherlands are subject to special shipping discounts. Please contact zilvera

If the buyer claims (s)he never received the item (s)he has to provide sufficient evidence for that. In this case the buyer gets a refund.

To avoid situations when a package gets lost it is recommended to have jewellery shipped per registered (and insured) mail. However the extra costs of such delivery are often not in proportion to the price of the jewellery piece. For cheaper items we can agree to split risks and costs.

Payment

Yes you can pay with credit card via PayPal. You don’t need a PayPal account for that. You provide your email address to which a PayPal payment request will be sent. Follow the PayPal instruction how to pay with credit card.

Miscellaneous

Yes, covering many of the issues outlined above. However my shop policies are not strictly compliant to the law of a particular country. I am currently working on a Dutch version compliant with the Dutch law

You can be sure your personal info is safe with me and will never be disclosed to third parties. I will always ask your permission if I want to make some parts of it (for instance, photographs or drawings) public – in my blog or for promotional purposes.